Love Never Fails

S.B. I Corinthians 13: 1 – 13


Last Sunday’s sermon was on attitude. This morning’s sermon is about our attitude of love, and the blessings we receive from it… and give with it.

One of my favorite memories of growing up in a Christian household centers around this morning’s text. Every time I would face a challenge… or every time I would get into trouble… my mom and my dad would always say the same thing… “Before anything else, let’s get back to square one… No matter what the situation… no matter what you’ve done… I Love You, Son.”

In our text this morning, we see God telling us the very same thing… One verse from our passage this morning leaps off the page. It contains the three most powerful words in the whole New Testament… “Love… Never… Fails…” We are not necessarily talking about the love that we have for one another, although that love is very important… after all, someone once said that love makes the world go ‘round… I would like to focus on the most uplifting and inspiring love of all… the Love that God has for his children… the Love that HE shared with us when HE sent HIS son to pay for our sins on the cross… HIS Love… and HIS LOVE ONLY… never fails. He is perfect, and HIS love is unconditional.

There is nothing that we can do to earn his love, but he gives it freely and deeply. HIS Love never fails. He does tell us in this passage this morning that while we may possess riches and knowledge and power and wisdom, that without love all these things are meaningless.

We know that God loves unconditionally, yet in this scripture he does not ask us to love as he loves. Rather, in this scripture he is giving us a lesson in what love really is, and what love really looks like.

Every time I read this passage, I have to ask myself how I personally measure up to this list. There are some tough questions that this list asks of us, but one answer keeps coming up. None of what we have means anything unless we have love in our hearts. In other passages in the Bible God tells us to love one another as He has loved us… here he is giving us more of a detailed list of some of the characteristics of that love.

In verses 4 through 6, Paul tells us that Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. He tells us what love is… and what it is not.

I feel as if I can safely suggest that most of us here today have experienced this kind of love… be it from a friends, parents, spouse or family or your church family… where we’ve been loved, and have loved the way Paul talks about in verses 4 thru 6, and how blessed we are by such love. The true blessing comes when we reciprocate, or even better, initiate such Christian love. When we go to church every Sunday, one of the things that I’ve noticed that we do, is we greet each other… whether it is with a handshake, or a hug, or a smile… and the thought occurs to me that for some, that handshake or hug or smile may be the only human contact that some people have in their week. That is called fellowship. This is a part of God’s design for his children, and he tells us to bless each other with that fellowship. “This is my commandment, that you love one another THAT YOUR JOY MAY BE FULL.”

We sing a hymn every so often that says “Blessed be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love… the fellowship of kindred minds is like to that above.”

Here’s a challenge for you today. This morning, earlier in the service, we had an opportunity to go and greet people… perhaps even people we have not met before. Take the time, perhaps even after the service today, to connect with someone whom you may not know very well… yet. Perhaps go to lunch or coffee today. Or perhaps connect with someone from our congregation during this week, reach out to that person… share God’s love with that person… And watch what happens.

The Body of Christ is a congregation filled with love for each other. This week, as we go about our lives, take the time to give someone a handshake or a hug or a smile. The blessings that you bestow will be great… the blessings that you receive will be immeasurable.

I Bid You Peace...
Pastor Ken+